| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication: | 1994 |
| Authors: | deCalesta, DS |
| Journal: | The Journal of Wildlife Management |
| Volume: | 58 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Date Published: | 1994 |
| ISBN Number: | 0022541X |
| Keywords: | Cardinalidae, Coccyzus, Coccyzus americanus, Contopus, Contopus virens, Cuculidae, Cuculus, Cuculus canorus, Dendroica, Dendroica cerulea, Emberiza, Emberiza godlewskii, Emberizidae, Empidonax, Empidonax minimus, Erithacus, Erithacus rubecula, Muscicapidae, Parulidae, Passerina, Passerina cyanea, Sayornis, Sayornis phoebe, Setophaga, Setophaga cerulea, Turdidae, Turdus, Turdus migratorius, Tyrannidae |
| Abstract: | White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have been maintained at high densities in Pennsylvania for several decades with unknown effects on songbirds and their habitats. I evaluated effects of white-tailed deer density on songbird species richness, abundance, and habitat. I simulated 4 deer densities (3.7, 7.9, 14.9, and 24.9 deer/km2) within individually fenced enclosures on 465-ha forest areas in northwestern Pennsylvania. Within all enclosures, 10% of the area was clear-cut and 30% was thinned. Enclosures were subjected to 10 years of deer browsing, 1980-90, at the 4 simulated densities. I conducted bird counts in 1991. Varying deer density had no effect (P > 0.1) on ground- or upper canopy-nesting songbirds or their habitat, but species richness of intermediate canopy-nesting songbirds declined 27% (P = 0.01) and abundance declined 37% (P = 0.002) between lowest and highest deer densities. I did not observe the eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens), indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus), yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), or cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) at densities >7.9 deer/km2, and the eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), and American robin (Turdus migratorius) were not observed at 24.9 deer/km2. Threshold deer density for effect on habitat and songbirds within managed (100-yr rotation) forests was between 7.9 and 14.9 deer/km2. |
| URL: | http://www.jstor.org/stable/3809685 |
| Short Title: | The Journal of Wildlife Management |
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